Best Hamstrings Workouts To Build Strength For Men

The deadlift is a powerlifting exercise that targets the muscles in your back and legs. It helps build overall strength and is commonly used in fitness routines.

How to do it

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell close to your lower legs.
2. Bend at your hips and knees to lower yourself towards the barbell, keeping your shins close.
3. Grip the barbell with both hands or one hand over and one hand under, while keeping your chest up.
4. Stand up straight by pushing through your hips and knees to lift the barbell along your body.
5. Lower the barbell back down in the same path you lifted it.

The Romanian Deadlift is a strength exercise that focuses on your glutes and hamstrings. It involves bending at the hips while keeping the knees slightly bent, helping you build strength for other hip hinge movements.

How to do it

1. Stand with a barbell an inch away from your shins and keep your core tight.
2. Hinge your hips back and grip the barbell with both hands.
3. Push through your heels and bring your hips forward to stand up straight, lifting the barbell to your thighs.
4. Keep your knees slightly bent as you lower the barbell by hinging your hips back until your back is flat.
5. Once your back can no longer stay flat, push through your heels to return to the starting position.

The Good Morning exercise focuses on strengthening the muscles in your back and hamstrings. If you're new to this movement, it's safer to start with dumbbells rather than a barbell.

How to do it

1. Set the barbell below shoulder height and grip it wider than shoulder-width.
2. Pull your shoulder blades together and tighten your core muscles.
3. Squat slightly to place the barbell on your upper neck, then stand up and step back, feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Keep your heels on the ground and hinge at your hips to lower your torso while bending your knees slightly.
5. Maintain a straight spine as you lower your body until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, then return to standing.

The Lying Hamstring Curl is an exercise that focuses on strengthening the hamstrings using a machine. It is effective for building muscle and strength in the lower body, while providing stability throughout the movement.

How to do it

1. Lie face down on the hamstring curl machine with the pad above your ankles.
2. Hold the handles and engage your core to stay stable.
3. Bend your knees to lift the pad up.
4. Lower the pad back to the starting position.

The Seated Leg Curl is a machine exercise that focuses on strengthening the hamstrings. It helps build muscle mass by isolating these muscles, making it a good choice for lower body workouts.

How to do it

1. Sit upright in the leg curl machine.
2. Adjust the top pad to sit just above your knees and the lower pad to rest on your ankles.
3. Hold the machine handles for support.
4. Bend your knees to pull your heels down in an arc.
5. Return to the starting position once you can no longer flex your knees.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift is a beginner-friendly exercise that focuses on strengthening your hamstrings and glutes. Using dumbbells can assist those with limited mobility and is an excellent way to prepare for barbell deadlifts.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand next to your hips.
2. Push your hips back and slightly bend your knees to lower the dumbbells down along your legs.
3. Keep your back straight as you lower the dumbbells as far as comfortable, then return to standing tall.

The Kettlebell Sumo Squat is a type of squat that works your hamstrings, glutes, and quads. By placing your feet wider apart, you also engage your inner thighs and make the squat easier for those with mobility challenges.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet wide and toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Hold the kettlebell handle with both hands in front of your hips.
3. Lower your body by bending your knees, keeping your back straight and chest up.
4. Return to standing by straightening your legs and lifting the kettlebell back to the starting position.

The Kettlebell Swing is a powerful exercise that strengthens your hamstrings and glutes. It helps improve your overall power and enhances performance in various sports and activities.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, angled slightly out, over the kettlebell.
2. Keep your core tight and your back straight.
3. Bend at the hips and grasp the kettlebell with both hands, lifting it to knee height.
4. Swing the kettlebell back and then thrust your hips forward to swing it up to shoulder height.
5. Let the kettlebell swing back down, using its momentum to continue for the desired repetitions.

The Single Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation of the Romanian Deadlift that targets your glutes and hamstrings. This exercise helps improve your balance, strength, and stability on both sides of your body, making it beneficial for other lower body workouts like squats and lunges.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Tighten your core to keep your back straight.
3. Hinge at your hips and lift your left leg straight back, keeping it in line with your torso.
4. Keep your knee slightly bent as your shoulders move over your toes.
5. Lower until your back is no longer straight, then return to standing and repeat on the other leg.

The Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift is a beginner-friendly variation of the Romanian Deadlift that works your glutes and hamstrings. Using the Smith Machine provides stability, allowing you to focus on proper form as you lift the bar.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart behind the machine bar.
2. Hinge at your hips and lean forward to grab the bar with palms facing you, resting it against your shins.
3. Keep your hips high and bend your knees slightly, straightening your back by pulling your shoulders back.
4. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the bar in a straight line, keeping it close to your shins.
5. Maintain a strong core and straight lower back throughout the lift.
6. Pause briefly at the top, then lower the bar back to the ground.

The Standing Leg Curl is an exercise that strengthens the hamstrings by isolating one leg at a time. Using a machine helps stabilize your movement, making it easier to focus on building muscle without compensating for strength differences between legs.

How to do it

1. Set your left knee on the pad, bending it at a 90-degree angle, while your right leg is extended and the pad is positioned on the back of your lower leg, just above your ankle.
2. Brace your core and lean slightly forward to hold onto the support handles.
3. Keeping your right ankle flexed at 90 degrees, raise the pad in an upward arc by bending your right knee. Make sure your right thigh stays still until you fully flex your knee, then lower the pad back to the starting position.
4. Repeat the exercise with your left leg.

The Sumo Deadlift is a variation of the standard Deadlift, focusing on strengthening the muscles in your back, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s a great exercise for enhancing leg strength and is suitable for beginners as part of their workout routine.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with your feet wide apart and the toes pointing out.
2. Position a loaded barbell close to your shins.
3. Bend at your hips and knees to lower your body, keeping your shins close to the bar.
4. Grab the bar with both hands, using either overhand or alternate grip while keeping your chest up.
5. Keep your back straight and legs vertical as you lift the bar.
6. Stand up straight to complete the lift, then lower the bar back to the starting position.

The Landmine Romanian Deadlift is a beginner-friendly exercise that targets your hamstrings and glutes. It uses a landmine setup for added stability, making it easier to control the movement compared to traditional deadlifts.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees.
2. Grip the landmine with both hands, keeping your fingers underneath.
3. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight slowly, keeping your knees slightly bent.
4. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, not exceeding your flexibility limit.
5. Push through your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips and raise the weight back up.
6. Pause at the top, keeping your glutes and hamstrings engaged.
7. Keep your core tight, shoulders back, and chest up throughout the exercise.

The Landmine Single Leg Romanian Deadlift is a straightforward exercise focusing on the glutes and hamstrings. This variation on the traditional Romanian Deadlift helps improve strength, stability, and mobility on one leg, using a landmine for added stability.

How to do it

1. Setup the landmine so the end is over your toes on one foot.
2. Hold the end of the landmine with the hand on the same side as the landmine.
3. Lift the landmine slightly above your knee while keeping a slight bend in your knee.
4. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight while swinging your back leg behind you.
5. Stop when you feel a light stretch in your hamstring and hold briefly.
6. Make sure your back leg's toes point down towards the floor.
7. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position, swinging your back leg underneath you.
8. Keep your core tight and chest open for good posture.

The Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is an exercise that works your lower and upper back muscles. It strengthens the hamstrings and glutes while isolating the traps with a shoulder shrug, making it great for improving your posture and overall back strength.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with hands wider than shoulders, using an overhand grip.
2. Keep your core tight, back straight, and chest up.
3. Bend at your hips to lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then pause.
4. Drive your hips forward to stand up straight, engaging your glutes and hamstrings.
5. As you stand, shrug your shoulders up to your ears and hold briefly.
6. Lower back to the starting position.